This application claims the benefit of United Kingdom Patent Application No. 0026913.4, filed Nov. 3, 2000.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to support vessels for self-burying a bed mine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
European Patent Publication No. 0110554 discloses an underwater weapon system comprising an elongate outer container which is buried or partially buried in the seabed in an upright position using self-burying means which are at the bottom end of the container and which preferably comprise both pump means for removing sand or silt and rotary material displacing means, e.g. an auger for boring a hole in the seabed or rotary stirring means. The weapon is a self-propelled device with guidance means and is housed within an inner container which is telescopically arranged within the outer container.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,044,745 discloses an enclosure for installation on the seabed comprising an outer cylindrical container one of which is more buoyant than the other so that the container lies in a vertical orientation when disposed in the sea and auger devices at the other end of the container for activating sand/silt/shingle on the seabed to create a cavity below the container into which the container can self-bury. The container has a payload compartment within the container for holding weaponry, listening, identification recording and/or communications equipment. The container wall is formed with a plurality of separate passages extending spirally from inlets at the lower end of the container upwardly to outlets at the top of the container through which activated sand/silt shingle and water generated at the lower end of the container can flow upwardly and freely as the container self-buries in the seabed.
European Patent Publication No. 1,092,937 discloses a further self-burying seabed device comprising an enclosure for installation in the seabed comprising an elongate container for holding a payload such as a weapon and/or a communication system. The container has a plurality of passages extending lengthwise of the container and impeller means are provided at the lower and of the container for drawing water through at least one of said passages from the other end of the container to form a slurry with the material of the seabed during burying of the device in the seabed during burying of the device in the seabed and for discharging through at least one other of said passages to said other end of the container for discharge into the surrounding water to create a hole in the sea-bed into which the device sinks.
This invention provides support vessels for self-burying sea-bed mines.
More specfically, this invention provides a supply vessel for transporting a plurality of payload carrying containers having powered self burying mechanism to enable the containers to bury themselves in the seabed when released from the vessel by each container being connected to the vessel by an umbilical including a power supply from the vessel to the container for powering the self burying mechanism.
For example, each of the containers may have an electric motor powered burying mechanism and the umbilical carries electric power from the vessel to the container for the self burying operation.
Preferably the umbilical connecting the vessel to a container has a remote release devices between the umbilical and container for releasing the umbilical connection to the container when the container has buried itself in the seabed.
In any of the above arrangements the vessel may be a submarine or surface vessel having an internal housing for storing containers to be deposited on the seabed or external carrier devices for carrying the containers until they are released.